Inheritance
by Shadow-Ocelot
Summary: William Birkin is convinced its all over, but salvation may come in the most unlikely of allies. Meanwhile, Albert Wesker's rise to power has begun and Umbrella will rue the day.
1. Desperation

Disclaimer: Don't Own Biohazard/Resident Evil. If I did this would have been the way things happened.

**Inheritance**

**Book 1**

_Neo-Genesis_

* * *

**0.0 **

**Desperation**

**

* * *

  
**

_"No time for goodbye," he said, as he faded away._

_"Don't put your life in someone's hands; they're bound to steal it away._

_Don't hide your mistakes, 'Cause they'll find you, burn you."_

_Then he said…_

_"If you want to get out alive, run for your life._

_If you want to get out alive, run for your life."_

**September 1998**

He had known for a long time now that they were coming for him. William Birkin was not Umbrella's Golden Child anymore. In fact he was becoming a thorn in their side. Despite the way he knew he looked William was indeed very sane. His paranoia wasn't born of something imaginary, but of a real threat from within. That threat had been brewing since his first successes with the G-Virus. Hungry for recognition others were clamoring to try to take his work for themselves. HIS work. He couldn't allow that.

He'd attempted to gain outside help, and even paid off the chief of police, Brian Irons. William knew he was crazy, and not just sick and twisted but demented. Irons had fallen off the rocker years ago; it was just a matter of him having enough power and sense to stay under the radar with his sick desires. However, William hadn't had a choice, and money spoke volumes to the corrupt policeman.

_If only Albert were still here. _William thought desperately. He remembered that night at the training facility, the night Wesker had tried to convince Birkin to come with him, to leave Umbrella. _I should have listened._ He thought, but in the end Albert was dead, wasn't he? There had been rumors among the top echelon that he was still alive out there, working to undermine them, but as far as William was concerned they sounded like Ghost Stories invented to pass blame from those it was truly meant to be on.

None of that mattered now. Even if Albert were alive out there that wouldn't help William now. The time to track him down and escape had longed passed and he was forced to face the cold reality that he was going to die. The least he could do was ensure that Umbrella didn't get their hands on his research. He'd show them he wasn't just some pipsqueak scientist they could just walk all over and get away with it.

If they thought that the loss of the mansion was a tragedy they'll wrap the noose around their own necks once I deny them G and all my other research.

He could sense it now, the pressure of his impending doom. They were close. He'd been tracking them since they'd entered the facility beneath Raccoon City, but he didn't even have to look to know they were upon him. Death was already here with a front row seat for the action as they came weapons pointing at him, issuing warnings to stay where he was and hand over the virus. William stood his ground, waving the small pistol he clutched in his hand at them. He knew it wouldn't save him, but he'd be damned if he didn't go down fighting.

They leveled their weapons on him one last time, could see their fingers pressing down upon the triggers to fire and –

William Birkin closed his eyes and smiled. _Let it be done then_.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	2. Contact

**0.1**

**Contact**

* * *

**September 1998, A Week Ago**

_Ring._

_Ring._

It was the harsh shrilling of the laboratory telephone that drove a slumbering Albert Wesker back to consciousness. For a few heartbeats his mind was veiled in a foggy confusion. Not only did he not remember where he was, he also didn't even remember falling asleep wherever that happened to be. Ringing phone pushed to the corners of his thoughts he pulled himself up into a sitting position, groaning as a sharp jolt ran through him. Apparently he'd twisted himself around into an awkward pose in his sleep.

The phone stopped, which was a small relief. He raised his eyes to the rest of the room. It was one of the small labs within the estate. One counter ran the length of all four walls and then there were two more parallel to each other that were place in the center. The only break in the counter space was on the side of the room he was on, and he occupied that space. It was a small couch, a lot like the ones you would see in a doctor's office. Just enough to satisfy one for a few minutes of waiting, but not enough to truly be comfortable over a long period of time. Which would explain the aches.

The room was completely dark except for the blinking of equipment and one lone laptop computer glowing out like a plasma-screen nightlight. Perched in front of the computer was a petite young woman, hair pulled up in an askew ponytail. Her attention was devoted fully to whatever was on her screen.

_Ring._

_Ring._

The phone began to ring again. He sighed. "Are you going to get that?" He supposed he could answer it, but if it were anyone who might recognize him there would be trouble – seeing as he was supposed to be dead.

The young woman didn't even seem fazed, and after a second inspection, he realized why. She was wearing earphones and listening to music. He stood up, sighing, and walked over, but right as he was about to touch her shoulder the ringing stopped again. Good, that way he didn't have to disturb her. Looking over her shoulder it looked like she was working on some more virus research and was heavily involved, fingers moving over the keyboard with great speed.

As he turned to move away a high alert siren started up. It took him a moment to recall why it sounded familiar other than the fact it was exactly like all those warning alert tones you heard in movies. It was coming from the cell phone sitting on the counter. He reached over and picked it up, reading the name that came up. **UMBCON #2**. He flipped it open and hit the answer button and held it up to his ear, "Mr. Heflin, how nice to hear from you?"

"S-Sir? I didn't expect you to answer."

"Miss Alexander is…" He gave a glance at the woman, "indisposed right now. May I take the message?" Trenton Heflin was one of their current contacts still within the Umbrella Corporation that was on their side. Trenton had been looking for a way out for a long time, and once seeing that Albert had made sure to get acquainted with him. When he left Trenton was one of the first ones to be informed that he was still alive, and looking to recruit. The first was Sasha Alexander, the prodigal scientist he was currently living with due to his runaway status.

"Actually it was you that I needed to talk to, sir. It seems they're really going to do it."

The air chilled. "Birkin? When?"

"We have a week, and after that he's a dead man."

"I see. I'm rather quite shocked about their choice to force it on poor William."

"I am, too. From what I can tell, he's one of their best. To decide just to kill him like this, well – they're pretty upset about you and the incidents in July."

"Well, we'll have to be prepared then." Wesker said, the gears working in his head, already formulating a plan. He thought they'd have more time than this, but he was wrong. Umbrella was taking the loss of the mansion and the management training facility personally. "Let the other know the situation. Miss Alexander and I will get back to you with the plan."

"Yes, sir. One more question?"

"Yes?"

"Am I to drop my cover?"

"Not unless there's an emergency. If you have to you know what to do."

"Yes I do. Myra's still allowed to come, isn't she?"

Myra was Trenton's younger sister, and the reason for which he was trying to get away from Umbrella. Wesker flinched to himself. The less people that were in their business the better, but if he said no they lost Mr. Heflin and he was just too useful and necessary right then. "She's allowed. Alexander's promised a room for her at the estate."

"I'll contact # 1. I'll be awaiting your call."

They hung up.

* * *

Ice blue eyes moved intensely over the screen, attempting to compare two samples she'd entered into her database not too long ago. Instead she'd found they'd both veered completely off their intended path into two equally unstable states. Cursing she minimized their windows and rose from her seat, determined to get right back to the original sample and try again. "Of all the stupid… Albert?"

She tilted her head quizzically and reached to pull the earphones from her ears as she addressed her boss and housemate. He had that thoughtful look on his face she had come to know very well. "Something's happened, hasn't it?" She saw her cell phone in his hand, and that coupled with that expression could only mean one thing: she'd missed an important call.

"Cannot get anything passed you, can we?" He gave her a wry smile as he set the phone back down on the counter. There was a momentary pause as he seemed to flick a switch to return himself to his usual stone cold business demeanor. In a very proper, controlled tone he informed her of what had happened. "This is very bad news for us. We will have to force our plans sooner than we intended." He appeared more annoyed by this than concerned, quite the opposite of his female companion.

Sasha's face melted into a considerable amount of panic, a look rarely seen over her youth features. She had always prided herself on her calm control and her ability to take everything in stride. Yet she found that in this instance she allowed herself an exception to this. She had been nervous enough about their attempts to raise a revolution against Umbrella even when the date of their outward actions had been far in the future, but now, with disaster looming before them she felt oppressed by the sudden pressure. "But we're not ready!" She cried. She'd only been privy to Albert's plans for a couple short months now and work had been slow with the handpicked batch of allies they had made. "Not even remotely!"

He took a step forward, his tall form towering over her, and lowered his hands encouragingly onto her shoulders. "I put my faith in you that you'll come up with something quickly." He told her, and there was that touch of confidence in his voice that she remembered being what had drawn her to him in the first place in the early days of their acquaintance. It had always given her the impression that he was an invincible force of nature, unstoppable and omniscient. Over time he'd become a dark paladin in her eyes, a man who fulfilled promises others had broken and spread like ash upon her life as proof of their failings and betrayal.

She remembered what it was like in those days after he'd disappeared and was presumed dead by the Raccoon City police department, and the words of the remaining S.T.A.R.S. members as they defamed the character she'd come to exalt. It was hard to understand how they could dare claim he had been the traitor they said when he'd done so much for her. At first she'd called them liars, previous friendships and bonds were rend asunder.

And then he had appeared to her one night, very much alive, and offering a once in a lifetime chance to seek revenge on the company that had torn her life to pieces. It was shortly after that when she had left her home in Raccoon and returned to her family's first estate in upper New York. Together they began to plan how to bring their long-term goals to fruition. As of now their main goals were the complete destruction of the Umbrella Corporation and the creation of their own regime of power and influence.

This was the first time since she'd met him that she'd felt any inclining of doubt. Not for the plan, no, but for one of integral pieces of the puzzle. Although William Birkin, Albert's ex-rival and fellow scientist, had turned him down the first time Albert had asked him to leave Umbrella he was growing increasingly sure that William would change his mind soon and join them. They needed a mind like William's, even with Sasha Alexander's child prodigy status under her belt in the genetics field. William had experience as well as being one of the key engineers of the viruses and data they hoped to get their hands on before burning Umbrella to the proverbial (and possibly literal) ground. As of now, that was looking hopeless.

Not missing the additional hint of a compliment in Albert's voice Sasha frowned. He was appealing to that little bit of personal pride hanging there in her psyche and she was trying to figure out if it was going to work or not. "Flattery will usually get you everywhere, Albert, but in this instance I am afraid you'll have to do better. There's only a few of us at the current moment and unless you have one hell of a plan Umbrella is going to skin us – and Dr. Birkin – alive."

* * *

Trenton Heflin had always been a careful man. He was the type that unplugged all the kitchen appliances before leaving the house, checked the backseat of his car before getting in, and quadruple checked all his work as if one minute mistake would mean the end of the world as they knew it. To say the least he was rigid, but his structure and attention to detail had made him one of the best technical security operatives Umbrella had to offer. It had also let him fly up the chain of command in his department like a rocket, which he suspected was one of the reasons that the former investigations officer, Albert Wesker, had chose him for his little scheme.

Wesker. He was a no nonsense man who frankly scared the living hell out of Trenton, and constantly left him wondering why he was working with him in the first place. Trenton had always put himself first before everyone. Survival of the fittest, they always said, and Trent was one to practice this notion in both mind and body. Teaming up with Wesker and the little trollop of a researcher that followed him around was like walking into a dark ally with an open duffle bag of money. It was asking for trouble, something he had a severe allergic reaction to.

Yet every time he began to question his involvement with the pair he'd turn his eyes to the corner of his desk and study the family picture standing there tall and proud, framed in matte silver. He was standing at the far edge of the portrait, symbolic almost to his natural separation from his father, mother, and younger sister, who smiled happily up at him, trapped in time and unaware of the tragic circumstances just around the corner. Not too long after their parents had been killed in an accident, and his sister had come to live with him. It was an ongoing struggle to understand and tolerate a teenage girl, who was the exact opposite from him in every way. Cheerful, loud, reckless, and more obnoxious than anyone he'd ever met in his life.

Despite this she was still his sister, and he had taken on a responsibility to take care of her and protect her from the world. Responsibility was the reason behind his wish to aid Wesker and Miss Alexander in their endeavors, because they promised escape from Umbrella, who Trenton had started to deem both too dangerous for him and to the world as well. In the last year alone their stability had been tested numerous times, and all of those times they had failed miserably to come out on top.

He wasn't supposed to have seen the orders concerning Birkin's downfall, but once he had there was no going back. It was his obligation to report it to Wesker, and report he did. Trenton glanced once more at the clock in the bottom right hand corner of his computer, anxious after his conversation with his new boss. He couldn't imagine how they were planning to pull themselves out of this mess, but whatever it was going to be they'd better move quickly.

"You look like you've seen a ghost there Heflin old buddy." A voice startled him from the doorway. It was Nathaniel Stanley, one of the heads in 'accounting.' God only knew what he really did for the company. Of course, Trenton could have just been being paranoid, and Nate could all well work with numbers, but somehow he doubted it. The harsh cruelty in the man's eyes gave away too much for him to be a mere number cruncher.

_Nope, just talked to one._ Trenton thought, but aloud he just said, "I was zoning off. I didn't get much sleep last night and the longer I look at this computer screen the more I'm starting to think the text is going to do a dance and then jump out and eat me." It would have been a funnier statement if he hadn't known about Umbrella's dirty little secrets.

"Go the hell home, man. You log more hours than anyone I've ever met. When was the last time you took a vacation?" Stanley leaned against Trenton's office door and Trent watched him closely, trying not to show obvious signs of his displeasure at being disturbed.

"Vacation, what's that?"

"Oooh, Mr. Serious has a sense of humor. But no, really, you should take some time off."

"Well, Myra and I are scheduled for a trip in the near future, but we're unsure of exactly when." _Yeah, a permanent trip, far away from you people._ He hadn't exactly told his sister yet of their inevitable flight from their life. He'd just told her to keep a few bags packed just in case, covering it as one of his new OCD symptoms. She'd grumbled and groaned, but in the end she'd lined up a few travel bags in her closet claiming it was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. She'd thank him later if everything went awry and he was found out before Sasha was ready to covertly move them to headquarters.

"Good. You guys do that." Stanley pushed off the door and motioned enthusiastically at him in agreement. As he turned he added, "and go someplace warm. I hear Jamaica is really nice."

"Thanks, Nate, I'll look into that." _If only…_

* * *

If a room could symbolize an emotion the Alexander Estate's dining room could definitely claim emptiness. The room was one of the largest on the ground floor complete with wide arched windows facing the front of the manor and a huge dining table that looked like it had seen its fair share of usage. The grooves and nicks in the wood were like scars reminding Sasha of the dinner parties her mother use to throw for her father and his business associates at Umbrella. Even though Sasha had been young during the glory days of their family she could still recall the tinkling laughter and the hum of conversation while she sat hidden just outside.

In reality the entire household was a mausoleum to her memories. The estate had been a gift from the Umbrella Corporation when her father, the great Soviet scientist Pavel Aleksandr, had defected to America secretly through the help of the company so that he could work with them. The place was entirely too big for her family at the time that had just included her father, her mother, and an infant Sasha. Now, it was just full of wasted space and dust that had collected since their move to a more moderate home in Raccoon City when her father had been transferred all those years ago.

It hadn't taken long to get the place up and running again, the lights and water turned on, a network of computer systems set up, but she'd opted to not hire any help again, seeing as she didn't want to have to worry about hiding their activity in their own home.

_Our home…_ She thought about that, hand pausing over the switch on the professional sized oven. _Albert lives with me now._ That was the biggest thing she had had to get used to. She had always led such an isolated existence. She was privately tutored as a child, had little friends as a teen, and after her mother died she had just gotten used to having to do everything herself.

"It always amazes me," Albert Wesker's voice drifted from behind her, "how such a talented chemist could fail at such a menial task as morning breakfast."

Sasha turned to see him examining a tragically burnt piece of toast. With disdain he dropped it back where he'd picked it up and regarded her curiously. "There's no need for insults." She shot back. "If you don't like my cooking then you do it. Or is eating so far below the great and powerful Albert Wesker?"

"Liking or not liking is beside the point, it's the inner urge to get tested for food poisoning afterwards that concerns me." He replied, his characteristic condescending tone so serious and even that she found herself considering whether he was just insulting her again or was being earnest. Aside from that he'd completely ignored her quip about his newfound powers. Given they didn't discuss it at all. It was just understood that he wasn't the same as he had been before he'd vanished in July of that year.

"I give up. I'm ordering take out." She threw up her hands, frustration lighting her crystalline eyes and rippling over every inch of her slender form. She started passed him towards the phone and was halfway there when he put out his arm and stopped her.

"Just go sit in the dining room."

"Albert—"

"Go. I'll be along directly and you can tell me what you've come up with for our little problem…" It was Wesker's way of saying, 'you're wasting too much time in here just go do what I hired you for.'

She sighed, face scrunching up with annoyance. She gave him a haughty salute and bowed out the door. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

Breakfast was a glorious concoction of culinary talent, something Sasha kept forgetting about Albert and something she shouldn't have. He was a man who had lived alone his whole life with high expectations and wants. The idea he would settle for just tolerable was laughable. As she began to eat she considered telling him he should do the cooking from now on, but decided against it when she noticed his rigid posture and tensed muscles. Not very many had a hold on body language such as Sasha, who'd learned it very young as she was constantly surrounded by those who had a habit of hiding things. That ability came in the most handy when dealing with Albert, for he hid everything down to even his barest of emotions.

"I've got nothing." She informed him. "The only way we can manage this is if I somehow get in and talk to Birkin about Umbrella's decision."

"Then we'll do that."

"Whoa… I can't just…" She took a deep breath to calm herself. "How the hell would I do that?"

"Very easily." He answered, placed his utensils down, and regarded her honestly as he slid his sunglass off his face. The brilliance of his unnatural eyes caught Sasha in a trance that made her feel both ashamed and spellbound. "Even after you turned Umbrella down due to your estrangement with your father they kept hope you'd change your mind. I know this because once they saw that I had contact with you they asked me to try and convince you to join."

Sasha looked surprised. This was the first time she had ever heard of this. "Why didn't you? I mean, of all people you are more than aware that you could have done this. Instead you supported my decision to keep clear of them."

He smiled at her, an indicative smile aimed straight at her that meant she knew exactly why if she'd search her brain.

"I was more useful to you without any ties to Umbrella." She said finally.

"Yes, you were. However now I realize I overlooked a case such as this, but it isn't a lost cause. All you need to do is contact the appropriate individuals, say you have changed your mind, but offer a clause."

"Such as?" She inquired. She felt the doubt from earlier slipping away as he turned her small sarcastic suggestion into a full-blown plan that just might work.

"You are a serious researcher, yes? You want to see the facilities you'll be working at and meet the scientists you'll be working with."

"The facility underneath Raccoon." She nodded, "and of course by asking to meet my future co-workers they'll have to introduce me to Birkin. But this will take way too long to set up. They won't do it on my schedule and by the time they do bring me through to the tour he'll be dead."

"I believe that is when we'll turn to Mr. Heflin."

* * *

A few hours passed with only silence and lines of code to keep him company. Each minute brought another degree of anxiety that Trenton Heflin just wasn't used to and was beginning to hate. He kept glancing at the clock, his watch, and even took to pacing now and again when he couldn't stand staring at the computer screen. Finally he felt the familiar vibrating in his pocket that indicated his second – and secret – cell phone was ringing. Checking his surroundings and ensuring there was no one around to hear the conversation he pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Sir?"

"We have a plan, Mr. Heflin, but we're going to need your expertise." Wesker wasted no time and got right down to the point as usual.

"Continue." Trenton said. He hadn't heard what they needed yet, but he was already starting to get reservations about it. Everything he did brought him one step closer to Umbrella finding out about him helping outside parties, and for him to be so inclusively involved in something as big as this Birkin ordeal the dangers increased far beyond anything he knew he could imagine.

As Albert Wesker lay down their plan of action Trenton felt that gnawing sensation in his gut screaming to just quit while he was ahead. He forced it down and prayed that they could pull this off, because if they failed he was so screwed…

* * *

Author's Notes: Welcome to the first installment of Inheritance, a massive alternative reality created to test the grounds of some of the greatest what ifs ever. I won't give away too much now, but I promise this isn't your everyday alt universe. I've put some thought into this. Including the many original characters thrown in to grease the wheels of change in the story line, who aren't cardboard cut-outs or mary sues. Each one has a rich background ready to be explored. I know that right now it might be confusing with some of the characters in here, or even what the heck is even going on, for the alternative changes begin far before this story even starts, but for the sake of getting the balls rolling I decided to write this story in the series first and go back and write the Prequel "Memoire" later explaining the backstory to how Wesker knows Sasha and Trenton Heflin.

Please Comment and let me know what you think. Flames will be discarded as trash, but constructive comments will be taken in for consideration.

Thank you, Shadow.

Next Chapter: Raccoon City or Bust - Sasha travels back to Raccoon City to begin to enact their plan, but she's not the only one there on business. Will this mysterious asian woman be a help or a hindrance?


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